She Loves Me (musical)
This is about '''the stage musical.' For the television film, see She Loves Me (1978 film). For the later film see She Loves Me (2016 film).'' She Loves Me is a musical adaptation of the play Parfumerie. Cast *Daniel Massey - Georg Nowack *Barbara Cook - Amalia Balash *Barbara Baxley - Ilona Ritter *Jack Cassidy - Steven Kodaly *Ludwig Donath - Mr. Maraczek *Nathaniel Frey - Ladislav Sipos *Ralph Williams - Arpad Laszlo *Wood Romoff - Head Waiter Plot On a beautiful summer day in Budapest in the 1930s, the employees of Maraczek's Parfumerie arrive at work. Working at the shop are Ladisov Sipos, a middle-aged salesman with a family; teenage delivery boy Arpad Laszlo; sexy and gullible thirty-something Ilona Ritter; Steven Kodaly, a suave ladies' man; and Georg Nowack, the shy manager. Mr. Maraczek arrives to open the store, and it is soon full of hustle and bustle. Georg has been exchanging letters with a "dear friend", and he shares today's romantic letter with Sipos. Maraczek advises Georg to get married and recalls being a bachelor. Arpad begins stocking the shelves with a new musical cigarette case. Mr. Maraczek insists that they will manage to sell one within an hour. A nervous young woman, Amalia Balash, enters, hoping to obtain a job at the Parfumerie. When Georg tells her they are not hiring, she demands to speak with Maraczek. Amalia takes one of the cigarette cases and convinces a customer that it is really a musical candy box that plays each time it is opened to gently tell the owner "No More Candy". Maraczek is impressed and immediately hires Amalia. Georg and Amalia constantly argue at work, finding solace in their anonymous romantic pen pals, not suspecting that their respective correspondents are none other than each other. At last, they arrange to meet their pen pals in person. Their fellow employees observe their bickering, and Sipos explains to Arpad that they argue because they unknowingly like each other very much. Arpad naively suggests they tell Georg and Amalia this, and Sipos retorts that they'd never believe it. Maraczek is becoming harder to please, and he seems to be frustrated with Georg. On the morning of his date, Georg tells Sipos that tonight at Eight he will finally meet his "dear friend". Meanwhile, Amalia explains to Ilona that even though she has not met her "dear friend" yet, she knows him very well from his letters. Mr. Maraczek and Georg argue, and when it becomes obvious that Maraczek is about to fire Georg, Sipos knocks over the stack of musical cigarette boxes to distract him. Maraczek reprimands Sipos and leaves. Sipos tells Georg that no replacement would treat him as well as Georg does. Maraczek insists that everyone stay late to decorate for Christmas, but Amalia says she must leave early for her date. Georg asks to leave too, but Mr. Maraczek refuses to let him go. Georg angrily quits, and the other employees sadly say goodbye. Amalia leaves clutching a copy of Anna Karenina with a rose in it so that her "dear friend" will be able to identify her. She wonders, "Will He Like Me?" Meanwhile, inside the shop, Kodaly begins seducing Ilona. They make a date, but when Mr. Maraczek insists they must close the store early, Kodaly realizes that he has time for a 9:30 date that he previously scheduled. He postpones his date with Ilona, and she angrily declares that she will never fall for a man like him again. Georg is nervous and asks Sipos to give "dear friend" a note explaining that Georg could not come. Mr. Maraczek's private investigator enters the shop and tells him that Kodaly is having an affair with his wife. Maraczek had assumed it was Georg. The investigator leaves, and Maraczek's wife calls to say she'll be out late. Maraczek points a gun at his head and pulls the trigger as Arpad enters the shop. Meanwhile, in the Cafe Imperiale, the head waiter is trying to maintain a romantic atmosphere as Amalia waits with her book and rose. Georg and Sipos enter and are shocked to realize that Amalia is Georg's date; however, Amalia does not know Georg is her "dear friend". Georg sits at Amalia's table and mocks her, singing a "Tango Tragique" about a woman who was murdered on a blind date. They argue, and Georg leaves. As the cafe closes, Amalia, still waiting, begs her "dear friend" not to abandon her. The next day, Mr. Maraczek has survived his suicide attempt, and Arpad comes to visit him in the hospital. Maraczek is impressed with Arpad's hard work in his absence, and Arpad begs to be promoted to sales clerk. Georg also stops by, and Maraczek apologizes and asks him to return to his job. Maraczek tells Georg to fire Kodaly and mentions that Amalia has called in sick. Georg is worried about Amalia and visits her at her apartment. She fears he has come to spy on her and tell the others she is not really sick, so she attempts to get out of bed and get ready for work. Georg, seeing she is truly sick, forces her back to bed and presents her with a gift: vanilla ice cream. He apologizes for his rudeness the previous night, but Amalia tells him that he was right about her date; if "dear friend" really loved her, he would have come. Georg, meaning well, makes up a story that he saw an older, bald, fat gentleman looking into the cafe. Georg says the man told him that he had to work and could not meet his date, and Georg surmises that he must be her "dear friend". Amalia is surprised to find she enjoys her conversation with Georg. After he leaves, she begins a letter to "dear friend" but can only think of Georg's kindness and his gift of vanilla ice cream. Georg joyously decides that Amalia loves him. At Maraczek's, Ilona explains to Sipos that she has gotten over Kodaly; last night, she went on a trip to the library where she met Paul, a kindly optometrist. Kodaly bids everyone goodbye, stating it was "grand knowing you". With twelve days to Christmas left, the employees are busy helping last-minute shoppers, and Georg and Amalia enjoy each other's company. On Christmas Eve, Amalia tells Georg she has invited her "dear friend" to spend the evening with her and her mother. She invites Georg as well, and he hesitatingly accepts. Mr. Maraczek returns to the shop for a happy reunion, and Ilona announces her plans to accept Paul's proposal that night, even though he does not know he is going to propose yet. Sipos leaves to join his family's Christmas party, and Maraczek takes Arpad for a night on the town. Georg helps Amalia with her packages as she leaves the shop, and they accidentally drop one of the musical cigarette boxes. Amalia intends to give it to "dear friend", but Georg says he really would like it; it will remind him of the day he first met her. He admits that he always thought Amalia was the sort of girl he could fall in love with. Amalia confesses to having similar feelings, and Georg takes one of Amalia's letters to "dear friend" out of his pocket and begins reading it aloud. Amalia finally understands that Georg really is a "dear friend" and they embrace. Musical numbers ;Act I * "Prelude/Good Morning, Good Day" - Georg, Arpad, Sipos, Ilona and Kodaly * "Sounds while Selling" - Customers, Sipos, Kodaly and Georg * "Thank You, Madam" - Clerks * "Days Gone By" - Maraczek * "No More Candy" - Amalia * "Three Letters" - Amalia and Georg * "Tonight at Eight" - Georg * "I Don't Know His Name" - Amalia, Ilona * "Perspective" - Sipos * "Goodbye George" - Customers, Clerks * "Will He Like Me?" - Amalia * "Ilona" - Kodaly * "I Resolve" - Ilona * "A Romantic Atmosphere" - Waiter * "Tango Tragique" - Georg * "Mr. Novack, Will You Please?" - Amalia, Waiter * "Dear Friend" - Amalia ;Act II * "Try Me" - Arpad * "Days Gone By (Reprise)" - Maraczek * "Where's My Shoe?" - Amalia, Georg * "Vanilla Ice Cream" - Amalia * "She Loves Me" - Georg * "A Trip to the Library" - Ilona * "Grand Knowing You" - Kodaly * "Twelve Days to Christmas" - Carolers, Customers, Clerks * "Finale" - Georg and Amalia Category:Stage musicals